Bill Tieleman is one of BC's best known communicators, political commentators and strategists.
Bill writes a politics column Tuesdays in 24 Hours newspaper and The Tyee online magazine.
Bill has been Communications Director in the B.C. Premier's Office and at the BC Federation of Labour.
Bill owns West Star Communications, a consulting firm providing strategy and communication services for labour, business, non-profits and government.

Why did the RCMP allegedly seize the donor lists of the Liberal Party of Canada B.C. branch in March 2005 in connection with the investigation of breach-of-trust charges against former provincial government aides David Basi and Bob Virk?

That's what senior federal Conservative John Reynolds is asking after Basi and Virk's lawyers filed a disclosure application Monday in B.C. Supreme Court claiming that RCMP "attended the federal Liberal Party's B.C. office in March 2005 and seized donor lists."

Reynolds, 2006 Conservative election campaign co-chair, said if the RCMP seized donor lists the reasons should be made public.

"I don't know what the RCMP were looking for, but we should be able to know why they seized the Liberal donor lists," Reynolds told 24 hours. "There's no question that there's been a lot of things happening that there are no answers to and the public wants answers."

When 24 hours asked last October if RCMP had visited LPC B.C. headquarters, executive director Mark Grant declined to comment. Grant did not return phone and e-mail messages yesterday. RCMP media relations did not respond to phone messages by press time.

Reynolds also said he is disturbed that the Basi-Virk case could be thrown out of court over claims that police wiretaps were improperly obtained and are therefore inadmissible as evidence.

Defence lawyers have previously indicated that they intend to file a Charter of Rights challenge to wiretap evidence after alleging that police failed twice to obtain a judge’s authorization because of Parliamentary privilege.

The defence claims police reapplied for cellphone wiretaps to another judge without disclosing that the address attached to the cellphone was in the B.C. Legislature.

“It’s very frustrating to read in the paper that the whole case might be thrown out because of the way police search warrants were obtained,” Reynolds said.

Lets piece this together. In documents filed by defence lawyers it states Bornmann accused Bruce Clark, the chief fundraiser for the Liberals in BC of bribing basi and virk. The documents also state the Elmhirst was funneling information to Bornmann. Why would the rcmp go to the federal liberal offices in bc unless they were looking for something connected to the above. Looks to me like Bornmann is becoming quite a headache to his friends in the federal liberals. Maybe the person who invited him to the state luncheons is feeling just a little bit nervous. Time will tell as more stuff is sure to come out.

Bill has anybody called Elmhirst and asked him to comment about his alleged involvement in passing information to Bornmann? Did Elmhirst invite Bornmann to the state luncheons? Did they attend these together, did they sit together at the same table? I think these are legitimate questions to ask the former president of the liberal party in bc.

I have been following the Abramoff scandal in the US. There are lots of similarities except one. The US authorities only gave a corrupt lobbyist, Abramoff, a deal (a lighter sentence) after he plead guilty and it was certain he would serve time in prison, which is what he is currently doing. How can Bornmann, who according to documents released by the court, get such a sweet heart deal of complete immunity after admitting to allegedly bribing public officials. Bribery implies you seduced somebody. Is the rcmp that desperate they would give complete immunity to a person who readily admits, according to court documents, of bribing public officials? Our neighbors down south appear to have a higher standard when it comes to dealing with alleged corruption in politics. No sweetheart deals, if you break the law you are going to jail, anything less would bring the administration of justice into disrepute! Abramoff is serving time in prison while he cooperates in a massive investigation involving political aides and politicians. Bornmann is living the good life. It seems to me Abramoff has infinitely more credibility serving hard time for his crimes while he continues to cooperate with the authorities. Lets compare that to Bornmann. One final thing, we all assumed Bornmann cooperated with the rcmp from day one. According to documents filed in court it states Bornmann told the rcmp the day of the raids that "aneal basi was a bona fide contractor working for him". It appears, according to documents released by the court, that Bornmann changed his story after he was given a deal for immunity. The key crown witness starts to change his story, this is not insignificant.

I read the documents filed by defence counsel. In paragraph 71 it states Bornmann and Kieran were tipped off by the Special Prosecutor about the impending release of search warrant information where it is alleged by Bornmann and Kieran they bribed public officials. In the documents filed by the defence it states "Mr. Kieran in his statements to the RCMP in 2004 also made an allegation of a payment to Mr. Basi that would have been unlawful". This would then tend to cast doubt on Kieran's assertion that he was voluntarily "retiring" to his home on Pender Island. The document goes on to state "It is notable that Mr. Kieran announced his retirement from lobbying at the time this Court ordered search warrant information released in March 2006". We keep getting this play with words from people who are key crown witnesses. How can we believe anything they say when its becoming obvious there is more to this than we have been led to believe. Its very disturbing to say the least.

For more material on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms I encourage you and your readers to visit www.charterofrights.ca -- an unbiased, plain language, and interactive look at the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It also contains relevant case law and precedents. The website is available in English, French, Chinese (traditional), German, and Italian with 6 more languages planned.

Bill Tieleman and Senator Larry Campbell, former Vancouver mayor

Jim Sinclair, Cindy Oliver, Ken Georgetti and Bill Tieleman

Bill Tieleman's coverage of the Basi-Virk/BC Legislature Raid Case praised by other journalists:

"This outstanding piece of journalism, in The Tyee, is the work of a journalist who has been deeply involved with this issue from the start and this article should be passed on as far and wide as possible."

"Bill Tieleman from 24 hours . . . . If you want to know about this trial and about this case, you have to read his blog – I mean, that’s just all there is to it – it’s required reading if you want to understand the BC Legislature Raid situation."

- Mike Smyth, columnist, The Province

"The Basi-Virk case....you’ve probably sat through more of these hearings and gone through more of the files and written about it than any other journalist in the province."

- Bill Good, host, The Bill Good Show, CKNW/Corus Radio Network

"Tieleman ...has done a first-rate job covering the trial."

- Paul Willcocks, columnist, the Victoria Times-Colonist

"Tieleman, who marries a considerable journalistic talent with one of the smartest political minds in the province, has been writing more web-exclusive material. And his coverage of the Basi-Virk trial is a must-read -- whether you're an insider or an outsider."

"24 Hours, the Vancouver paper that has been leading the coverage, as well as the hints of conspiracy in B.C."

- Norman Spector, columnist, Globe and Mail

"Although the major media in this circumstance has been giving the case significant coverage, Tieleman's reports on his blog have been outstanding.

The entire cut and thrust of legal wrangling and arguments has been covered and is accompanied by considered analysis.....His blog site coverage of the Basi-Virk trial is the most in depth treatment of one of British Columbia's biggest political scandals."

- Bill Bell, columnist, The North Shore News

"Mr. Tieleman has published online dispatches which, freed from the limitations of newsprint space or broadcast time, can run at length. They also remain available for those select readers who become obsessed with a case also known as Railgate.....

In another bizarre twist to a story with no shortage of them, Mr. Tieleman went to work one day in December only to discover his office had been ransacked. Bookcases had been tipped over and papers strewn, but nothing was missing.

To top it off, a press kit for the self-published novel The Raid, written by a retired military officer in Metchosin and featuring on its cover a photograph from the 2003 police raid, had been left in a conspicuous place."

- Tom Hawthorn, columnist, The Globe and Mail

Nobody has followed the Basi-Virk affair over its past five years with greater diligence than local journalist, Bill Tieleman....Tieleman deserves our thanks, a fistful of journalism awards and some merit citation for citizenship.